Vermont to invest $25M to redevelop brownfield sites

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont will invest $25 million to address contaminated brownfield sites across the state.

Gov. Phil Scott made the announcement Thursday morning in Springfield in front of the Jones and Lamson building, which has sat empty for almost 40 years.

The money will pay for cleanup so the building can be redeveloped.

Historically, the work has been funded by the EPA. This is the first time state funds are being used for brownfields sites.

“It’s been empty since 1986. It’s just kind of a visible symbol of the town’s struggles over the years. So now, instead of remembering what it was, we can actually, seriously, with a straight face, think about what it is going to be. It’s a flat piece of property on a four-lane highway near the interstate with full utilities,” said Bob Flint of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation.

The Fonda site in St. Albans and two other sites in Burlington are also slated to receive funding.

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